2. My Krishna’s tassel is lost, Tell me, some one, where it is. My child is angry and will not come into my arms.
The tears are falling from his eyes like blossoms from the bela[4] flower.
He has bangles on his wrists and anklets on his feet, on his head a golden crown and round his waist a silver chain.
The jhumri or tassel referred to above is a tassel adorned with cowries and hung from the top of the cradle so that the child may keep his eyes on it while the cradle is being rocked.
3. Sleep, sleep, my little baby; I will wave my hands round your head[5] on the banks of the Jumna. I have cooked hot cakes for you and put butter in them; all the night you lay awake, now take your fill of sleep.
The little mangoes are hanging on the tree; the rope is in the well; sleep thou till I go and come back with water.
I will hang your cradle on the banyan tree, and its rope to the pīpal tree; I will rock my darling gently so that the rope shall never break.
The last song may be given in the vernacular as a specimen:
4. Rām kī Chireya, Rām ko khet.
Khaori Chireya, bhar, bhar pet.